Driver's sentence of holding 'idiot' sign concludes

Woman was caught driving on sidewalk to pass a school bus

Shena Hardin holds up a sign as she serves a highly public sentence Wednesday in Cleveland. Hardin drove on a sidewalk to avoid a Cleveland school bus that was unloading children.

CLEVELAND — A woman ordered to stand at the curb with an embarrassing sign as punishment for driving on the sidewalk past a stopped school bus skipped the cigarettes and cellphone as she served out the second half of her sentence Wednesday.

Municipal Court Judge Pinkey Carr, unhappy that Shena Hardin was smoking and texting Tuesday, said she planned to personally supervise the defendant Wednesday but later changed her mind.

Court spokesman Ed Ferenc said Carr gave no reason. A message was left at her office.

The judge had ordered Hardin to spend an hour Tuesday and another Wednesday with a sign reading, “Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.”

Hardin wore headphones and ignored passers-by Tuesday. The judge told WKYC-TV she felt Hardin wasn't sufficiently holding up the sign and was “missing the point.”

Hardin avoided smoking and texting during the second half of her sentence and wouldn't comment when asked if the judge had warned her to behave.

TV camera crews formed a tight circle around her but she looked away except to quietly talk with a Cleveland radio personality who asked her about an apology and said everyone makes idiotic mistakes. She deflected the apology suggestion and said she didn't owe the media anything.

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